Federal Labor leader Anthony Albanese has rejected suggestions that blue-collar workers have turned their back on the party following a loss in the Upper Hunter byelection. In contrast, fellow Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon, whose federal seat covers a similar area, argued that the sharp decline Labor saw in its primary vote over the weekend should act as a wake-up call. Fitzgibbon had threatened to quit the party unless the ALP changed its ways and warned that voters did not trust the party to protect blue-collar or mining jobs. “They [voters] say we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk,” he told reporters. Fitzgibbon resigned from the shadow cabinet halfway through last year’s term due to opposing views on climate change. Prime Minister Scott Morrison held similar views, saying the ALP had lost touch with blue-collar workers. In response, Albanese said, “The evidence is there that is not the case.” He …